Bandon star Jack wins nine medals!

MULTI-TALENTED Bandon AC athlete Jack Cullen will look to carry his amazing form into last weekend’s Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships in Tullamore after an incredible pair of outings at the Cork County Championships.

Over two meetings in CIT on May 6th and 13th, 14-year-old Jack picked up nine medals at the U15 age-grade. He claimed gold in five events – the javelin, discus, hammer, sprint hurdles and long hurdles – silver in the shot putt, long jump and 200m sprint and bronze in the high jump.

That haul augmented an already impressive tally when the West Cork championships are taken into account and the hope is that he will maintain the success. The first-year student in Hamilton High School in Bandon will compete in the javelin in Tullamore and his mother Carolyn says that that remains his favourite.

‘The javelin is his first love,’ she says, ‘he has set Munster records for the last two years.

‘Since last year, he trained more in the combined events and he competed in cross-country too, he had his best year in that before he gave up as there was too much, he plays GAA and soccer too!’

After this weekend, Jack’s focus will turn to the Munster championships in Waterford in June and hopefully from there to another All-Ireland.

‘He’s kind of out of age in terms of the school grades but he’ll have two years at the junior level,’ Carolyn says.

‘It’ll be a good experience and then it’s into the Munsters. He won the All-Ireland javelin two years ago but came second last year so he’s keen to try to regain that.’